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Backyard decorating
Spring has arrived suddenly this year. On a weekend. Clothed in heavy, almost humid air. The cat darted outside to inspect backyard planters for even smallest leaves of grass, anything chewable, really, would do. No such luck yet, but we both started pottering around, turning wooden crates upside down, sweeping winter-worth of compacted leaves, pulling vines off of the fence, already battered by recent damaging winds. The vines became 5 minute wreaths, adorned with some faux succulents I was given recently. The fruit crate landed on a rusty chair for an impromptu tulip vignette styling. This is when I am the happiest, in the backyard, rearranging, repurposing, crafting decor out…
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Bittersweet melted chocolate and raspberries cake
This Valentines’s day is all about chocolate and fresh raspberries, both rather rare in this household. Never been much into chocolate, with the exception maybe of a good Polish milk and whole hazelnuts chocolate from Wedel. Also, I never buy fruit out of season, raspberries usually make appearance in mid July, we stuff ourselves with them for a couple of weeks and then we say goodbye for a year, except for the pick-your-own leftovers in the freezer. But this year, since I ruthlessly pulled Marie Kondo on my home studio and that includes books, I was left with a handful of only favorites, and that included Sweet Paul’s Eat and…
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Carpathian harvest fairytale
Fairytales happens when you believe in them. In the power of ordinary, imperfect, wabi-sabi that is….The power of little, but emotionally charged things, the power of imagination, the power of child-like (not childish!) enthusiasm. I headed to my hometown in Southern Poland recently knowing that some lovely objects are waiting there for me, thoughtfully gathered by my Father just for my photo storytelling. An old kitchen hutch, a table with peeling paint, but gorgeously preserved top by years of oil cloth cover up, a bench. They all come from an old log cabin home nestled on my parents property waiting to be re-invented, re-imagined and hopefully relocated, although this might…
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Wanderlust: Rome part II, the culinary adventure
I did not expect to be so smitten by the food culture in Rome. I know, seriously, how was that possible? How many cookbooks on Italian cooking can be found in an average bookshop? How many cooking shows are out there? Well, I do have an excuse here – I hardly ever watch tv. But the true reason is different, and so prosaic…that is downright silly. Years ago, I worked in an American-Italian cafe as a cook. Menu was very limited, and while the wood oven pizza, which I had nothing to do with, was great, the pasta with alfredo sauce or shrimp scampi must have turned my taste buds…
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Wanderlust: Rome, off the beaten path
Rome has been a complicated destination for me, for years. The complicated kind of love…I remember days when I was in high school and one summer my brother and I tried to convince my parents to drive to Italy from our southern Poland home. We took the map, drew somewhat straight line, taking the Alps thankfully into account, and pleaded with all our might to head south. The car, a Polish Fiat, would probably survive the trip, my parents’ pockets, not so much. It was the old Eastern block days, when no one could travel outside of Eastern block, unless proved a significant amount of funds in dollars (!) available…
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Summer solstice gathering
Every year when jasmine (Philadelphus or mock-orange) and peonies start to bloom, I can time days and hours to my favorite time of the year. The longest days, the still-crisp nights, and the heady, perfumed air. It is Midsummer time, which has nothing to do with middle of the summer, after all it is about to begin, but an old North and Central European celebrations of flowers, fire, and dance. June 24th, St. John’s Day, and the night leading to it, is the time to toss the handmade flower crowns in the streams and rivers, and to celebrate. This year, I was fortunate to have spent few days at my…
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Spellbinding Rome
Rome deserves whole paragraphs, if not books, on its magic. Sometimes loud and colorful, sometimes elegant, sometimes understated and mysterious at the same time. It is impossible to separate history and contemporary life. Here are a few captured moments that evoke the spellbinding word to me most. Welcome to the corners of Trastevere, Rome.
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House tour
It is about time that I share a slightly bigger glimpse of our home on the blog. I might have a bit of an agenda hidden here. With looming bathroom renovation (salmon and green need to make way for new colors), it works miracles for motivation, to open the doors wide open, bring some flowers in, and just step back and think: yup, we did it! These first few weeks of June mark 4 years since our offer was accepted. After year and a half of intense search, defying the statistics and trends (“you will never find a single family house in Cambridge, MA in your budget that is not…
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Secret Woodland Garden
Every year, around the third week of May, we carefully time a trip to this wild, overgrown garden on the outskirts of the city. A carpet of the lilies of the valley is what brings us there, but this year I wanted to document the secret, forgotten garden feel of the place. The Alice in Wonderland, or as I prefer to call it – H.C Andersen garden. Somehow, lilies of the valley are forever tied to his fairy tales in my mind. So is jasmine, but that is story for June…
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Roman garden inspiration for small city garden
After fun filled, although sometimes frustrated search (favorite Anthropologie planters sold out!) my Roman inspired garden mood board is ready. Now the hard part, making it happen. I cannot wait to share the results! Clockwise from top left: Planters: Pottery Barn Umbria planters Outdoor sofa: Patricia Uroquiola “Foliage sofa” at Hive Modern Aged scalloped planters: Jayson Home Plant pot with saucer: Ikea Decorative outdoor pillows: Blossom pillow West Elm and striped pillow West Elm Nasturtium “Gleam Salmon”: Floret Flower Farm Jardin Bistro Folding Dining Set: West Elm Rosemary in clay pot: Burpee Lanterns: Anthropolgie
